HC Deb 04 February 1991 vol 185 cc16-8W
Mr. Tom Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was paid in each of the last two years to outside evaluators of the United Kingdom's aid programme.

Mrs. Chalker

Payment to external evaluators by the evaluation department amounted to £277,930 in 1989 and £216,169 in 1990.

Mr. Tom Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made with other aid donors in agreeing economic and social indicators against which the progress of aid projects could be judged.

Mrs. Chalker

There is broad agreement among donors about the economic and social indicators which reflect quality of life in developing countries and those which might appropriately be used to judge the success of particular projects. However, there has been less progress in agreeing the use of specific quantitative economic and social performance measures that might be used as part of the aid co-ordination process between a recipient government and donors collectively.

Mr. Tom Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Monklands, West on 21 January,Official Report, column 39, he will name those outside evaluators used to study the effectiveness of particular aspects of the United Kingdom's aid programme in the last two years.

Mrs. Chalker

[holding answer 31 January 1991]: The following evaluators were used by our evaluation department in 1989 and 1990:

Mr. T. Anderson Dr. S. Ladbury
Mr. G. Armstrong Mr. C. Lane
Mr. S. Aicester Mr. R. Lattimer
Mr. A. Airey Mr. R. Limbrey
Dr. R. Bailey Mr. G. McGilvary
Mr. A. Barnett Mr. P. McLean
Mr. B. Barrett Mr. R. Moberley
Mr. R. Beales Mr. G. Munday
Ms. D. Bryceson Mr. N. Mutter
Mr. E. Burr Prof. E. Naylor
Ms. C. Cassals Mr. A. Palfreman
Mr. M. Chand Mr. J. Pickford
Mr. G. Clarke Mr. D. Potten
Mr. J. Cusworth Mr. J. Quelch-Wools
Mr. T. Duncan Dr. J. Redhead
Mr. J. Eaton Mr. J. Roberts
Mr. M. Felton Mr. M. Segall
Mr. M. Flint Mr. D. Shields
Ms. L. Gardiner Mr. I. Smout
Mr. F. Greig Mr. D. Stied(
Mr. J. Groves Dr. R. Stirrat
Dr. P. Hall Dr. P. Street
Mr. P. Hardcastle Ms. N. Thandon
Mr. P. Harding Dr. A. Taylor
Mr. D. Harkin Mr. R. Thompson
Mr. P. Harris Mr. A. Tomowski
Dr. M. Harrison Mr. A. Wall
Prof. C. Hassal Mr. D. Watson
Mr. A. Holt Mr. A. Wearing
Mr. P. Howgate Mr. E. Weatherhead
Mr. J. Howe Mr. R. Wedderburn
Ms. J. Johnson Dr. C. Weir
Dr. D. Jones Mr. R. Wilson
Ms. S. Jones Mr. J. Winpenny
Mr. P. Kennard Mr. S. Zadek

Mr. Tom Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criticism he has received over the past three years from outside evaluators used to study the overall effectiveness of the United Kingdom aid programme; and what was the action taken.

Mrs. Chalker

[holding answer 31 January 1991]: The findings of around 50 evaluation studies completed over the last three years are too numerous and detailed to list.

Evaluation reports, or the synthesis studies based on them, are considered by the ODA projects and evaluation committee. They are summarised in evaluation abstracts EVSUMS and circulated to all operational staff so that the lessons learned can be applied to future aid activities. Consideration is also given to whether ODA procedures should be changed in the light of the findings in order to improve aid effectiveness. The catalogue of evaluation studies and the collection of EVSUMS are available in the House of Commons Library.

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